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Drew Silva

Baseball Daily Dose

Bet On Brett

A’s left-hander Brett Anderson took a major league mound on Tuesday night for the first time since June 5, 2011. What followed was either excellence or something close to it.

Anderson allowed just one run on four hits over seven spectacular innings as the A’s topped the Twins by a score of 4-1. He walked none, struck out six and tossed 62 of his 86 pitches for strikes, looking much like his old dominant self.

Anderson posted a 2.80 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 75/22 K/BB ratio across 112 1/3 innings in 2010 before elbow issues temporarily derailed his career the following season. Now free and clear of his rehab from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery, the 24-year-old southpaw looks ready to regain his status as a top-end big league starter.

Get him active in fantasy leagues. Or grab him off the waiver wire if he’s still available.

Waino Suddenly Looking Quite Bueno

Well, maybe “suddenly” is the wrong word.

Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright has been on fire since the All-Star break and was at it again on Tuesday night against the Astros, throwing his second shutout of the season while matching a career-high with 12 strikeouts as St. Louis rolled to an easy 7-0 victory. Dominating that dismantled Houston lineup isn’t any great achievement, but Waino is carving up all comers.

The 30-year-old right-hander has allowed just four runs and boasts a 31/5 K/BB ratio in 31 innings this month. He had a 4.62 ERA after his start against the Reds on July 13. It’s now 3.65.

Wainwright, who is 17 months removed from Tommy John surgery, should be a force down the stretch as the Cards look to get on a roll.

Darvish May Have To Miss Next Start

Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish felt some discomfort in his right leg while trying to throw his regular between-starts bullpen session on Tuesday afternoon at the Ballpark in Arlington. He eventually completed the 40-pitch workout but had to stop several times to stretch and there’s some concern about his availability for his scheduled Thursday start against the Twins.

Darvish has posted an underwhelming 4.51 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 23 starts this season, but he’s fanned a whopping 172 batters over his first 147 2/3 major league innings and should carry plenty of fantasy value down the stretch on a dangerous Rangers team.

The Texas medical staff will reevaluate him on Wednesday morning before deciding what to do about Thursday night. Their initial diagnosis for his sudden ailment was “right quad tightness.” We’ll find out soon if it’s more serious than that.

National League Quick Hits: Reds closer Aroldis Chapman racked up his 30th save of the season on Tuesday against the Phillies … Johan Santana (back) is unlikely to make his next scheduled start Thursday versus the Rockies … Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 batters over six innings Tuesday in a defeat of the Braves … The Cardinals signed right-hander Jake Westbrook to a one-year, $8.75 million contract extension with a $9.5 million mutual option for 2014 … Jhoulys Chacin tossed six innings of one-run ball in his return from the disabled list Tuesday against the Mets … The Cubs have shut down right-hander Matt Garza (elbow) for the remainder of the 2012 season … John Axford tallied his 19th save of the season Tuesday in the Brewers’ victory over the Cubs … Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner threw two scoreless innings Tuesday in his first rehab start with Triple-A Tucson … Carlos Beltran is day-to-day with a sore hand … Alfonso Soriano tallied his 76th RBI of the year in Tuesday’s loss to the Brewers … Jimmy Rollins had a double, two steals and two RBI in Tuesday’s loss to the Reds … Ted Lilly (shoulder) is aiming to return to the Dodgers as a reliever on September 1 … The Diamondbacks have placed left-hander Joe Saunders on waivers … Emilio Bonifacio is day-to-day with right knee discomfort … The Brewers may shut down Mike Fiers and Mark Rogers within the next three weeks … Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco has begun serving his two-game suspension for bumping umpire Chad Fairchild in late July.

American League Quick Hits: White Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis launched a grand slam in Tuesday’s defeat of the Yankees and now has 11 homers and 33 RBI in 46 games since changing teams … Brett Lawrie experienced renewed discomfort in his ribcage on Monday and has been shut down indefinitely … Felix Hernandez fired 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball Tuesday against the Indians in his encore from last week’s perfect game … Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar tossed eight scoreless innings, fanning 10, in an extra-innings win over the Rays on Tuesday night … Brandon Morrow (oblique) is on track to return from the disabled list Saturday for a start against the Orioles … Angels closer Ernesto Frieri collected his 15th save of the season in the Angels’ victory over the Red Sox on Tuesday … Doug Fister is questionable for his next start because of a right groin injury … Grady Sizemore has been shut down for the season due to back and knee injuries … David Price tossed eight shutout innings Tuesday in a no-decision against the Royals … Austin Jackson finished 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday’s victory over the Blue Jays … The A’s demoted struggling second baseman Jemile Weeks to Triple-A Sacramento … Mark Trumbo launched his 30th homer of the year and tallied his 77th RBI in Tuesday’s win over the Red Sox … Carl Pavano (shoulder) has been shut down for the rest of 2012 … Max Scherzer held the Blue Jays to one run in seven innings Tuesday in a Tigers victory … Edwin Encarnacion hit his 32nd home run on Tuesday night … Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin will undergo Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery on Wednesday … Veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte has not ruled out returning for another season … The White Sox placed center fielder Alejandro De Aza on the 15-day disabled list with bruised ribs.

A’s left-hander Brett Anderson took a major league mound on Tuesday night for the first time since June 5, 2011. What followed was either excellence or something close to it.

Anderson allowed just one run on four hits over seven spectacular innings as the A’s topped the Twins by a score of 4-1. He walked none, struck out six and tossed 62 of his 86 pitches for strikes, looking much like his old dominant self.

Anderson posted a 2.80 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 75/22 K/BB ratio across 112 1/3 innings in 2010 before elbow issues temporarily derailed his career the following season. Now free and clear of his rehab from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery, the 24-year-old southpaw looks ready to regain his status as a top-end big league starter.

Get him active in fantasy leagues. Or grab him off the waiver wire if he’s still available.

Waino Suddenly Looking Quite Bueno

Well, maybe “suddenly” is the wrong word.

Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright has been on fire since the All-Star break and was at it again on Tuesday night against the Astros, throwing his second shutout of the season while matching a career-high with 12 strikeouts as St. Louis rolled to an easy 7-0 victory. Dominating that dismantled Houston lineup isn’t any great achievement, but Waino is carving up all comers.

The 30-year-old right-hander has allowed just four runs and boasts a 31/5 K/BB ratio in 31 innings this month. He had a 4.62 ERA after his start against the Reds on July 13. It’s now 3.65.

Wainwright, who is 17 months removed from Tommy John surgery, should be a force down the stretch as the Cards look to get on a roll.

Darvish May Have To Miss Next Start

Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish felt some discomfort in his right leg while trying to throw his regular between-starts bullpen session on Tuesday afternoon at the Ballpark in Arlington. He eventually completed the 40-pitch workout but had to stop several times to stretch and there’s some concern about his availability for his scheduled Thursday start against the Twins.

Darvish has posted an underwhelming 4.51 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 23 starts this season, but he’s fanned a whopping 172 batters over his first 147 2/3 major league innings and should carry plenty of fantasy value down the stretch on a dangerous Rangers team.

The Texas medical staff will reevaluate him on Wednesday morning before deciding what to do about Thursday night. Their initial diagnosis for his sudden ailment was “right quad tightness.” We’ll find out soon if it’s more serious than that.

National League Quick Hits: Reds closer Aroldis Chapman racked up his 30th save of the season on Tuesday against the Phillies … Johan Santana (back) is unlikely to make his next scheduled start Thursday versus the Rockies … Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 batters over six innings Tuesday in a defeat of the Braves … The Cardinals signed right-hander Jake Westbrook to a one-year, $8.75 million contract extension with a $9.5 million mutual option for 2014 … Jhoulys Chacin tossed six innings of one-run ball in his return from the disabled list Tuesday against the Mets … The Cubs have shut down right-hander Matt Garza (elbow) for the remainder of the 2012 season … John Axford tallied his 19th save of the season Tuesday in the Brewers’ victory over the Cubs … Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner threw two scoreless innings Tuesday in his first rehab start with Triple-A Tucson … Carlos Beltran is day-to-day with a sore hand … Alfonso Soriano tallied his 76th RBI of the year in Tuesday’s loss to the Brewers … Jimmy Rollins had a double, two steals and two RBI in Tuesday’s loss to the Reds … Ted Lilly (shoulder) is aiming to return to the Dodgers as a reliever on September 1 … The Diamondbacks have placed left-hander Joe Saunders on waivers … Emilio Bonifacio is day-to-day with right knee discomfort … The Brewers may shut down Mike Fiers and Mark Rogers within the next three weeks … Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco has begun serving his two-game suspension for bumping umpire Chad Fairchild in late July.

American League Quick Hits: White Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis launched a grand slam in Tuesday’s defeat of the Yankees and now has 11 homers and 33 RBI in 46 games since changing teams … Brett Lawrie experienced renewed discomfort in his ribcage on Monday and has been shut down indefinitely … Felix Hernandez fired 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball Tuesday against the Indians in his encore from last week’s perfect game … Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar tossed eight scoreless innings, fanning 10, in an extra-innings win over the Rays on Tuesday night … Brandon Morrow (oblique) is on track to return from the disabled list Saturday for a start against the Orioles … Angels closer Ernesto Frieri collected his 15th save of the season in the Angels’ victory over the Red Sox on Tuesday … Doug Fister is questionable for his next start because of a right groin injury … Grady Sizemore has been shut down for the season due to back and knee injuries … David Price tossed eight shutout innings Tuesday in a no-decision against the Royals … Austin Jackson finished 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday’s victory over the Blue Jays … The A’s demoted struggling second baseman Jemile Weeks to Triple-A Sacramento … Mark Trumbo launched his 30th homer of the year and tallied his 77th RBI in Tuesday’s win over the Red Sox … Carl Pavano (shoulder) has been shut down for the rest of 2012 … Max Scherzer held the Blue Jays to one run in seven innings Tuesday in a Tigers victory … Edwin Encarnacion hit his 32nd home run on Tuesday night … Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin will undergo Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery on Wednesday … Veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte has not ruled out returning for another season … The White Sox placed center fielder Alejandro De Aza on the 15-day disabled list with bruised ribs.